


I'm Happy for You

by flowersforlukey



Series: Stone Cold [3]
Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Anal Sex, Bottom Luke, Boys Kissing, Established Relationship, Eventual Smut, M/M, Romance, Time Skips, Top Michael, this is epilogue-ish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-05
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-07-12 11:07:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7100584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowersforlukey/pseuds/flowersforlukey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It hasn’t been easy for Michael, to say the least; spending some days alone behind the cameras because he can’t bear to watch the person he’s in love with be with someone else. He knows he should wait, he promised Luke that he will, but he doesn’t think he could do that any longer. So he stops, and the consequences were definitely beyond his expectations.</p><p>Sequel to “Me and My Heart, We’ll make it through”</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'm Happy for You

**Author's Note:**

> Hi beautiful people! This is the last part of the series and I swear I'm not crying. Yep. TOTALLY. It's been a great journey so far and I want to say thank you for sticking up until the end. This is all for you. Enjoy! :)
> 
> Title is from 'Stone Cold' by Demi Lovato

 

It hasn’t been easy for Michael, to say the least; spending some days alone behind the cameras because he can’t bear to watch the person he’s in love with be with someone else. Usually, he takes it easy, laughing with Calum over something silly that puppies do whenever Luke brings the brunette with him to sound check.

That was only when their second headlining tour started. Only getting quick glimpses of the two because he was smart enough to refuse to look at them and their conjoined hands. He takes it easy because all the attention was on them.

It gets harder though, when their tour finishes on early October and they return to LA for a three-week break before they go through interviews and last minute performances.

For that whole break, Michael entirely spends most of his time lounging around with Calum on snapchat and sometimes going out driving around the city with Ashton. He hangs out with them because Luke’s already gotten himself busy with the girl he always seems to be with.

When their writing sessions finally started, Michael spends more days inside his apartment rather than the studio. Ashton doesn’t push him when the rest of the band were scheduled to write in the studio and Michael only had his guitar in his hands and a cup of coffee in his room on the hours of 2 am. They allowed him to work on some of the songs on his own because they all knew better than to interrupt.

Luke continues to hang out with the brunette, bringing her home a lot more often than not.

That was only the beginning. And it’s gotten worse when the interviewers attacked Michael with some questions he wasn’t prepared to deal with.

At first it was easy, answering some questions about the band and their upcoming album like the pro he is. He leaves some subtle hints about some of the songs they wrote, rambling about things like their progress of producing heavier music and record labels. Everyone smiles at him once he finishes answering with only a light chuckle escaping his lips.

He gets uncomfortable when the questions were slowly becoming _too_ personal. Someone asks him what his reaction would be if one of his band members started dating someone they definitely didn’t like and Michael wants to laugh and say _well no shit, that’s already happened._

He doesn’t though.

At some point throughout the interview, Luke stares at him. He all but stares at him nowadays and Michael shrugs it off because he knows that Luke knows where their boundaries were falling. Michael says ‘I don’t really know’ for what he thinks is an answer and sighs in relief when they turn to Calum and ask the same question.

He wishes it was over. It wasn’t.

He’s impacted with a stronger wave of controversy after their last performance in Tampa and this time it’s neither about the band or their music.

It’s about his ring. The silver band around his left middle finger on full display for the public to see. He hasn’t exactly been hiding it, and the paps just didn’t find it fun to leave the topic without a single question.

Michael’s expected it, really. He’s just isn’t at all prepared of what he was going to say. He’s seen pictures of himself. Quick snaps of his finger when he was walking around LA with some paps, posted on twitter and everything followed by some short suspicions, _‘is that an engagement ring he’s wearing???’_

He refused to answer, and he also refused to take the ring off because he just didn’t have the heart to do so. Luke keeps on stealing glances at him throughout the performance, always checking at the older boy in case something odd was happening. In case he couldn’t find a silver ring on his finger.

Luke does though. He knows Michael never takes it off. It makes his chest throb and flutter at the same time but he ignores it and walks off to Calum instead.

They’ve been like this, refusing to stay close even during their performances. Throughout the Asia and European leg of their tour they did their thing; going to each other to play their guitars and have a short guitar battle at the end of another song.

But when they reached the American leg of the tour, they just stopped. Always refusing to end _Castaway_ with longer solos and somehow splitting the bridge of _Voodoo Doll_ into two parts, now in their separate ways.

It was odd. Lost, even.

So they go on like this, something different from what Michael expected to happen, but it is what it is. They still talk though, and they hang out sometimes when they’re with the rest of the band. Michael remembers that one time when Luke had given him a new set of Xbox controllers (and a hug) on his 21st birthday.

Michael still smiles at the small things Luke does even if it wasn’t for him. _Typical Luke_ , he wants to say. Always stressing about his hair and his jeans and his now gone lip piercing. (Michael thinks the blond still looks attractive without it).

Michael wants to say that he’s okay. That things are fine and enough to make him smile even though he chooses not to.

He doesn’t though. The thought gets lost in Michael’s head when another picture of them gets leaked one afternoon.

They’re in Amsterdam, playing in the city for the second time in a row. Calum goes out after having their lunch which leaves him alone with Ashton. Luke had already left even before Calum decided they were going out for breakfast. He was rarely even in their hotels anymore.

Ashton goes down in the lobby before Michael receives the notification. All the blood drains from his face when he sees the very recent picture flashing across his phone screen.

It’s a snap of them, the brunette girl covered by an all-too familiar cat filter though wearing nothing but a bra and Luke’s bare arms draped around her shoulders. Michael realizes that it was him, it had to be, because there’s no one else. He sees Luke’s shirtless body behind the brunette and closes his eyes, refusing take in any more of the sight.

Michael saves the picture in his phone but deletes it right after once it starts appearing all over twitter. He hears Ashton approach Luke that evening, asking him if he was indeed spending some nights with the girl including the time when that picture had been leaked (which happened to be earlier that day).

Michael hears an audible _yes_ in response.

He goes to Luke that night, phone in hand and a frown full of disappointment on his face. Luke exits the shower, clad in a towel with beads of water dripping down his torso. He invites Michael into his room without a second thought, already knowing what the older boy came for.

Michael breaks apart again, but it was nothing near to what he had done before. He keeps the tears from falling, entrusting his mouth instead to say what he had been keeping to himself for a very long time.

“We already talked about this, Michael.” Luke shakes his head, pushing Michael’s phone away from his face. He stands up to slip into some sweatpants, audibly sighing in the process.

“Yeah, we did,” Michael nods to the blond’s broad back. “But seriously Luke? Sex? Fuck you.”

Luke sighs again, turning to face the older boy. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too,” he looks down, choosing to drop the topic. Michael lets his eyes fall shut because the embarrassment flushing his face was too strong. “Sorry, I just can’t help it.”

“I understand.”

Luke wants wrap his arms around the older boy and tell him that he is indeed sorry but decides against it. He stares at Michael instead, watching as how he falls back onto Luke’s couch with his hands on his face and his phone with the very same picture lying across the ground.

He looks smaller than Luke had ever seen him before, and this makes the throbbing inside his chest even worse. Luke can’t help but think how bad this ‘waiting’ was turning out for Michael.

He ignores it though, and feels a smile slip onto his lips when the barely evident diamonds on Michael’s ring catches his attention.

It all felt like a cycle full of misunderstanding, but Michael knew that things would eventually return to normal. Their three-day arguments that used to be about how Luke rarely spent time with them as a whole band, were now about how often he steals Michael’s sandwiches which always resulted to Luke laughing at the older boy’s face.

Michael knew they were starting to get better.

So they work together on their situation, bringing back the simultaneous guitar solos during _Voodoo Doll_ and _Castaway,_ and making sure to spend a lot more time goofing around on stage where they could forget about the past and the future that’s yet to come.

Of course it wasn’t possible without the short fights that followed after. They still had their arguments, still yelled words at each other when the other started falling apart. It’s their band that brings them back again, always refusing to let another one of their stupid fights to ruin what they’ve all worked hard for.

Still, nothing had changed. Michael still felt the same way towards his best friend, and he refused to let anything or anyone change that. He was still going to wait anyway.

 

* * *

 

It’s three years later when Michael first feels the exhaustion come to him.

They’re all back in Australia for the holidays, pumped and very much excited for the nearing Christmas they’re about to spend with their families. Michael spends the first five days of his break with his family, somehow surprising himself by how he had turned down Ashton’s offer of hanging out altogether at the Hemmings’ on the day before Christmas Eve.

It’s not that he doesn’t like the idea of seeing his second mum other than Karen and the other two brothers he never had. For the record, he does. It’s just. He isn’t that comfortable _yet._

He hasn’t quite adjusted to the things he really should get used to, like those dinners he used to spend with Luke’s family while he held the blond close to his side, or those times when he was the one who hosted the dinner and Karen insisted on inviting Luke along with his family.

He hasn’t wrapped his mind around the fact that they wouldn’t be able to do that this time. It’s been three years already, and yet he still misses spending the holidays with the blond.

So when Michael pulls into the driveway of his house, he stays inside the car, arms resting on the steering wheel while his mind runs in circles for the second time that day.

It’s been three years, and so much has happened since.

Right after their second headlining tour, they go lax at that time, spending longer weeks in LA when they flew from Australia on the following year. There was nothing really major that had happened, only continuing writing songs and playing in radio shows before they released their third album.

Michael receives a lot more questions on the next few interviews. He gets quite a few from his frequent ring appearance but some are mostly directed to himself. And also maybe his hair.

Luke was still seeing the brunette through those years but Michael managed. Although he doesn’t know how much longer he’s going to take it.

There was still something between them though. Michael feels it all the time. When they spend some days with the whole band together, he feels the all-too familiar fluttering in his stomach, and sometime later, the smile that randomly returns to his face.

He doesn’t mind though. He was happy that nothing was changing. For him, at least. For Luke? He doesn’t know anymore.

Michael rarely saw Luke with the brunette during the days they spent in LA. Although he wants to laugh and cry of relief because that would mean he would have Luke to himself again, he doesn’t. He can’t help but get concerned over them, if they had broken up and decided that their relationship was definitely no good for the band.

It wasn’t though. Michael wishes he would just stop putting his hopes up.

He exits the car with a light shake of his head and walks over to the front of his house. When he pushes the door open, he’s immediately greeted by the warm scent of macintosh apple flooding through his nostrils. It smells so much like home.

He does, however, stop dead in his tracks when he hears laughter echoing through the kitchen and immediately distinguishes a lower voice that’s definitely not from his mum. It’s _Luke_ , he knows it is, and the hand that’s clutched around the doorknob instantly freezes.

“Mum?” Michael walks further into the house. “I’m home!”

The laughter comes to an abrupt halt, and as if on cue, a pair of blue eyes that never failed take his breath away land on his the moment Michael steps into the kitchen.

“Oh hey sweetie!” Karen greets cheerfully, turning to look at Michael. Luke offers him a small smile that Michael doesn’t return and immediately walks over to where Luke and his mum were standing. “How was your drive? Luke here was just telling me how great you’ve been doing around the band.”

“It was alright.” Michael keeps his eyes on the blond, obviously not trusting his mum’s words. “Uh, what are you doing here?”

He wasn’t intending that to come out as harsh, but it did and Luke’s eyebrows start doing this thing where they’re creasing or something and Michael feels the slightest tinge of guilt forming inside his stomach.

“Oh, don’t be pushy,” Karen warns, moving towards the dining area where Daryl was already seated. “I invited Luke over for dinner since you refused to head over to Liz’s tonight.”

“Um, okay,” Michael nods, watches as Karen exits the room and pulls out a chair from the kitchen island so he could start removing his shoes. “Hey.”

“Hi.”

“Why are you here?” Michael pushes, sincerely curious. “You’re supposed to be having fun with your family and Calum and Ashton at your place right now.”

Luke shrugs and looks over to the now red-haired boy. “I dunno. Just wanted to see your stupid face, I guess.”

Michael snorts loudly. “You see me every day.”

“Not when we’re on break,” Luke tells him, pulling out a bottle of _Dom Perignon_ underneath the kitchen island. “I brought some wine, if you’d fancy?”

Michael offers him a smile, untangling the last of his shoe laces. “Of course.”

Dinner goes by smoothly and a small chatter remains on the table. Michael takes a seat away from Daryl so his mum could occupy the space beside him but Karen was quick to make Luke sit beside him instead. Michael hides his low grumble by sipping on a glass of water.

Some questions were asked, of course. Dinners were never really considered complete without the questions about Michael and the person he’s with.

Luke tells Karen something that makes her smile widely. Daryl unscrews the bottle of wine and passes it to Michael, who gives it to Luke afterwards. Tension silently fills the air when Luke’s eyes drop to the silver ring on Michael’s left middle finger. Karen and Daryl follow his eyes as well.

They don’t question it, of course. It isn’t a surprise that they already knew about the ring Luke had given him because Michael most likely told them the moment he returned home from Bali.

“Do you want to uh… go to my room?” Michael asks hesitantly right after Karen excuses them from dinner and insisted on doing the dishes herself.

Luke nods. “Sure.”

Michael’s room (which he actually prefers to call his _man cave_ ) hasn’t really changed that much over the years. When Luke steps inside, he’s immediately greeted by the familiarity of it all and it makes him remember those days when he and Michael used to cuddle by the couch right after Karen reminds them that it’s late and they should be heading to bed.

“You actually used them,” Luke comments, catching a glimpse of the Xbox controllers he had given Michael lying across the carpet.

Michael closes the door to his room and gestures to his couch, grabbing the controllers with him. “Of course I did, you moron. I wouldn’t have asked for them if I didn’t intend on using them.”

“What happened to your old controllers?”

“Cal broke them,” he chuckles and adds, “or so I think.”

“Then you should’ve told him to buy them for you, not me.” Luke grumbles, watching as Michael resumes an unfinished game. “Set it to two-player.”

“Look at you. You’re so willing to lose.” Michael laughs.

“Said no one.”

Luke grabs the other controller, brushing against Michael’s hand in the process which he tries to ignore although heat had already started spreading across his cheeks. They go on from there, scoring goals and pushing against each other while mantras of curses echoed throughout the room.

It’s an hour later when Luke pauses the game out of nowhere.

“I um…” Luke clears his throat. “We spoke to management.”

“We?” Michael asks.

“Me and you know, Arz.”

“Okay,” Michael nods, turning half of his body to Luke. “Go ahead, please.”

Luke pauses to take a deep breath. “We talked to management, last week, I think? I don’t know. We were planning to stop the relationship ‘cause it’s been too long. It’s been _long_ enough. It’s a surprise we both wanted to break up before the holidays.”

Michael doesn’t speak. He chooses not to because if he does, he might end up crying out of happiness.

He nods in acknowledgement though, hoping Luke wouldn’t notice that he’s already losing himself in his head once again. There were too many thoughts swirling in every direction, his hopes rising so high that is reaches the roof.

“What’d they say?” he asks carefully, hoping his voice didn’t waver too much.

“They said it was okay. We’re done now. After three long years, we’re done,” Luke tells him, feeling a smile creep onto his face. He shakes his head quickly, averting his eyes away from the red haired boy and hoping he would be able to drop the subject. “Shall we continue playing?”

“Yeah.”

At some point, Michael ends up winning (because when does he not) and Luke drops the controller before curling to himself at the other end of the couch. Michael notices how his eyes were slightly beginning to droop before resetting the game and switching to one-player.

Luke’s soft snores echo through the white walls of his room while Michael plays the virtual soccer match in maximum silence. It gets boring eventually, because playing a game is definitely not as same as playing a row of games and consecutively winning to Luke.

When the clock strikes eleven, he stops playing because Luke’s asleep on his couch and he feels like a douche because he suddenly doesn’t know what to do. Was he supposed to wake him up or creep over him while he sleeps? Was there some kind of bro code when it came to situations like this?

Michael chooses the latter though, because he’s not someone who’s got some kind of control over himself. He finds a blanket on the other side of the couch and drapes it over Luke’s shoulders. Michael just can’t help but think how beautiful Luke looks when he’s asleep.

He knows he should probably stop whatever he’s doing, but he rarely gets to do it anymore so he continues. Michael’s eyes drop to the sight of Luke’s sleeping figure, eye lashes fanning across his cheeks and lips parted slightly.

There’s a thin layer of stubble covering his jaw and Michael knows this because Luke never really shaves before the holidays. It makes Michael smile though, the thought of leaning down easily as he takes advantage of Luke asleep because he wants to feel the stubble rub against his soft porcelain skin.

So he does.

He does it without even thinking, leaning down slowly before his lips press firmly against the skin of Luke’s cheek. Luke starts stirring in his sleep, and Michael’s eyes widen before he leans away and catches the confusion in Luke’s eyes.

“Michael?”

Guilt was starting to build in his stomach. What the fuck was he thinking?

“Shit Luke, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to—“

“No, it’s okay,” Luke assures him, quickly sitting up. “Can you take me to your room upstairs? I’m more comfortable in your bed.”

Thank fucking God he didn’t call him out on it.

Michael doesn’t stare at him as he gets on his feet, blindly reaching for Luke’s arms because he could tell Luke was too tired to move on his own. Something explodes in his gut when Michael’s hand comes in contact with Luke’s skin. Like some sort of magnetic force, fuelling his body and making his insides go wild.

He decides to ignore it, looking everywhere but Luke. The blond was impossible to ignore though, when he’s just inches away from Michael and he could easily slide his arms around his waist so he could hug the blond from behind.

He’s aching for a touch, a glance, a single word, _anything._ He misses Luke, and he doesn’t know how long he’s been missing him but he knows that he does.

Suddenly, Michael wishes he wasn’t going to sleep with him in the same room tonight. Wishes that Luke wasn’t invited to dinner, and even if he was, he wishes Luke would’ve ended up driving to his own house instead.

Michael wishes he was out driving with Ashton, instead of being stuck in the same room with the person he still loves until today.

Luke opens the door to Michael’s room and heads straight for the bed. Michael follows him, carefully collapsing on the opposite side of the bed and making sure that he was at least a few inches away from the blond.

Michael turns his back to the boy beside him, keeping his eyes trained on the window that keeps the room illuminated from the moonlight streaking through. He waits for snores to erupt once again, but when it doesn’t come he turns around, jostling on the bed to find Luke staring right into his eyes.

There’s a faint smile on his pink lips and Michael mirrors it. He settles back on the bed, slipping his arms underneath his head as he stares back right into Luke’s eyes. Michael feels his body shiver involuntarily and Luke reaches out a hand and pulls the duvet over their bodies.

“Cold?” Luke grins, passing the duvet to Michael.

“Sort of,” he takes the duvet and throws it over his shoulders, humming at the comfortable feeling. “Your body heat is enough though.”

“My body what?”

“Nothing,” grinning, Michael rakes his eyes at the small curves of Luke’s lips. “I said you’re warm; I could actually feel it from here.”

“Come close then.” Luke gives him one last smile and reaches underneath the covers to take one of Michael’s hands and pull him close. He ends up holding his left hand, where the ring is full on display, and he realizes this as soon as he’s got Michael scooting over with his left hand tangled with Luke’s. 

He takes his time, squeezing Michael’s hand as he eyes the ring from every different angle. He remembers stuffing it in his pocket one morning, and remembers dropping to one knee in front of Michael on the night that followed.

Michael looks closely into Luke’s eyes as they study the ring, seeing the same glint that sparkled when he was on his knees before the older boy during that one night. Subconsciously, a smile starts pulling at the corners of his lips, feeling the familiar fondness take over his senses.

Luke carefully rakes his thumb over the one of many diamonds engraved on the ring. He feels a smile break onto his face, soon looking up and finding Michael staring at him.

“Do you like it?” Luke whispers cautiously.

“I love it. It’s beautiful,” Michael answers, moving his fingers so they slotted in between Luke’s. “I would’ve given to Calum if I didn’t like it.”

Luke laughs, or at least he tries. He does, but there’s a serious look of Michael’s face so he stops. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been fine,” Michael shrugs, and adds, “Calum called me today and told me that you guys wanted me at your place. I didn’t go because I thought she was going be there.”

Luke lets out a soft sigh, slowly shaking his head. Michael scoots closer when Luke moves his hands and stops to rest them on either sides of Michael’s face.

“I’ve missed you,” Luke says, trying to keep it on the low because it was something he wanted Michael to know. His thumb moves to brush over Michael’s bottom lip and he looks up to see the pair of eyes he’s grown to love. “There wasn’t a day that I didn’t think about you. I was always thinking of you, Mikey.”

“Luke,” he breathes.

“Shhh,” Luke tells him, and mostly himself because he was starting to feel the change in the atmosphere between them. “I’ve missed you so much.”

Michael begins to lean in but Luke stops him. It’s then that Michael knows he needed to understand. They were going to take their time, they both needed it, and there’s nothing to worry about because no one was going to stop them. No one at all.

“Not yet,” Luke whispers to him in a reassuring way when Michael retrieves. He flickers his eyes to the smile on Luke’s face and forces himself out of the embarrassment. This is Luke, and he definitely shouldn’t feel bad from the things he wants because everything would eventually fall back into place once they start over.

“Come cuddle me?” Michael asks instead, wanting to feel those familiar arms latch themselves onto his body once again. Luke gives him a nod and moves his arms so Michael could fit between them. When he does, he feels content. He’s got Luke again and he never wants this night to end.

“Luke?”

“Yeah?”

Michael grins, feeling his eyes fall shut. “I’ve missed you too.”

 

* * *

 

It’s New Year’s Eve, several days after Christmas had passed and the boys had decided to throw a party at the Clifford’s with all of their families and closest friends. Luke is nervous, to say the very least. Or anxious, or whatever for that matter. Both of his shoulders are tense and he’s been turning down the drinks Calum had been giving him for the past hour. If anyone suspected that something was wrong, that would’ve been their first clue because Luke _never_ turns down drinks.

Calum is yelling something into his ear and Luke doesn’t bother to care. He can’t seem to find Michael anywhere and he swears he just did a few seconds ago because the ridiculous radiance of his hair and his ability to tower over people due to his height definitely gave it off.

“He’s probably just talking with Ashton or something,” Calum slurs, seeming to read Luke’s mind as he passes him another cup of beer. “Drink up.”

“I’m not drinking tonight, Calum.” Luke swats his hand away, nearly spilling the drink. “I gotta stay sober, and focused, and _fuck._ What if he doesn’t love it?”

Calum, who nearly falls on his ass as he pushes himself up the porch, starts laughing louder than the music as if Luke had told him that he was suddenly sporting a beard, which is in fact not going to happen.

“You’re the worst,” Luke huffs, crossing his arms in front of him. He shoots Calum a glare once his laughter died out. “I drove to your house at two A.M. last night because I needed to ask for your help and now you’re not even helping!”

“Oh, calm down will you?” Calum snorts, now jumping off the banister and straightening himself to face the blond. “You’re too tense, Lukey. Of course he’s going to love it. What, you think he would leave once you man up and get back to hating you just like he did in year 9?”

“But he only hated me because he thought I was cute!”

“Not the point, Lucas,” Calum says, giggling a little when Luke starts cursing at how much he hates the name. “Oh shut it. Listen, you’re gonna go out there and get your man. And if he _does_ leave, I swear I’m going to punch him right and the fucking face and you get to laugh about it.”

“But what if—,” Luke sighs, cutting himself off. He’s looking at Calum with so much distress in his eyes but appreciates the encouraging smile he gets in return. “Don’t you think it’s too soon? To do this when we’re still you know… _recovering_?”

“I don’t know, man,” Calum shrugs, honestly not knowing if it was. “Maybe it is, but that’s not a bad thing. If you think you’re happy with what you’re doing, then you do what you gotta do. I’ll support you either way.”

“Thanks Calum,” Luke smiles, and he really means it.

Calum returns the smile, and starts nudging him to the direction where he thinks Michael could be standing. “No problem. Now go find him.”

Luke _does_ find him, when the swarm of people in the yard finally clears out and gives him access to the older boy who was actually staring down from the balcony. He races towards the stairs before he’s walking behind Michael, stopping right next to him as they glance over the people moving around.

“Look up.”

“What?”

Michael stares at him as if he’s gone mad because he honest to God doesn’t know why Luke’s suddenly telling him to look up. Luke doesn’t know either, but he figures he might as well find a way to distract Michael so he could finally get this over with.

He gets a strange look from Michael but the older boy obliges anyway, turning his head to watch the vast expanse of the jet-black sky and the canopy of luminous stars that spread across the surface. Luke watches as a smile slips onto Michael’s face, a glint of awe flashing in his eyes.

“There’s a lot of stars, Luke. It’s so beautiful. Is that the reason you— _holy shit._ ”

Luke’s already got himself on one knee in front of the older boy, and he has to stop himself from laughing so much because Michael’s reaction is _priceless._

“No way,” Michael shakes his head as if he’s refusing to believe what was happening before him. “What are you doing, Luke?”

Luke is now full on laughing because seriously, wasn’t it obvious? “Well, eventually I got tired of standing so I decided that I was going to sit down right here in front of you. Yeah, totally.”

“ _Stop,_ ” Michael whines loudly, but there’s a soft smile on tugging on his lips so it makes Luke grin as well. The EDM music playing downstairs switches to an acoustic set of _If It Means A Lot to You_ and he reckons it was Calum who took over the stereos this time.

(Luke makes a mental note to thank Calum later because the song was absolutely genius.)

Michael stares at him, refusing to look away because honestly, he knew this was coming but he never expected it to be _this_ soon. His breath hitches his throat when Luke holds his left hand and looks up to meet his eye.

It barely comes out as a whisper, but he manages. “Luke, are you proposing?”

“Yes, I’m proposing.”

“Shit uh, okay,” Michael says quietly, trying to hold back a smile. “Just get on with it please.”

Luke shuffles on his spot on the ground, looking at Michael with so much adoration as he feels enamoured by the older boy, and pulling the box out of his pocket for Michael to see. He clears his throat, wanting to express his speech with so much fluid so it covers up how nervous he actually is.

“It’s been too long, since we’ve spent nights tucked under the blankets in hotel rooms. I could hardly even remember how I started things back when it was just the both of us; when you knew I would end up crawling up in your bed so you let me be. Then we went from there, until the moment I knew I loved you and I was sure nothing was going to change that.”

“But things happened, and I was scared it would get to us. That night in Bali… it meant so much to me because it was when I did something to stop you from getting away. I made you wait for me because I knew very well that I can’t just leave you. You’re my best friend and the person I really love. I needed to come back because you make me happy to the greatest extent and I can’t imagine anyone else doing that except for you.”

Luke finishes the first few of his lines and leaves the rest to open the box. Michael rakes his eyes over the ring, feeling tears well up his eyes before he’s got the chance to stop them. Luke smiles at him, holding the box in his hands as he stares at his lover. “I know I’ve made a lot of mistakes before, but I want to make it up by making you happy and spending the rest of my life with you. Michael, will you marry me?”

“Yes,” Michael croaks, nodding softly as a trail of tears race down over the smile on his face. “Yeah Luke, I’ll marry you.”

Luke slides the ring onto Michael’s fourth finger, just beside the thin silver band on his middle finger, and allows a huge grin break into his face. He hoists himself up on his feet and takes Michael in his arms, holding him tightly and planning to never let go.

“I love you,” Luke murmurs, and kisses Michael.

Someone claps from somewhere near the glass doors and both of them pull away to locate the source of sound. Ashton goes up to them with a large grin and Calum coming after with his phone in his hands.

“Congrats, lads!”

Calum beams, “I’m glad I caught that in camera.”

Everyone congratulates them when they head downstairs and pass on the news. Michael is all smiles then, clinging to Luke all the time he talks with the Hemmings and gushes every now and then when Liz tells him how happy he is to see that he’s with Luke again.

Karen later finds him alone in the kitchen as he refills one of his drinks. Michael remembers when he just talked to his mother about the proposal and only getting a knowing smile in return that might have left a few questions running in his head. _Too_ knowing, as if she already had a clue that it was totally going to happen.

“I’m happy for you,” Karen tells him, with tears in her eyes and a smile so wide that it reaches her ears. Michael hugs her tightly, and feels the familiar warmth spread across his chest.

“Thank you, mum.”

Once Luke finishes receiving hugs and approvals from his family and Michael’s family, including the small _take-good-care-of-my-son_ chat with Daryl near the gates where it’s silent, he strolls into one of the hallways in the house to look for Michael.

Michael finds him first, and surprises Luke by pulling him into his room and pressing him against the door once he closes it. Luke crashes their lips together with enough effort that it nearly knocks all the wind from both of their lungs.

Luke’s fingers gently ran up and down his spine, coaxing shivers out of Michael. He leans down as his fingers trail lower, both hands resting on Michael’s hips to pull him impossibly closer so there was not a single inch of space between their bodies.

The room is filled with thick silence except for the noises of their lips smacking together and muffled moans escaping their mouths and Luke loves it. Michael tugs on his shirt and drags it down, waiting for Luke to get the message and when he does, he removes the shirt and tosses it somewhere across the room, sighing when Michael’s hands _finally_ come in contact with his flushed skin.

“Missed you,” Luke gasps out in between quick kisses. “Missed your hands all over my body.”

Michaels takes off his own shirt and throws it somewhere behind him. It’s not too long before Luke’s lips are meeting his once again.

“Missed me, huh?” Michael growls. Luke whimpers softly against his lips when Michael starts unbuttoning his jeans. “Wait ‘til I fuck you so hard in my bed tonight that you won’t be able to walk until next week.”

“Fuck,” Luke moans, feeling so aroused already even though they barely started. Maybe it’s because Michael’s going to fuck him tonight and not the other way around, and it probably is because he hasn’t felt Michael’s cock in three years and he’s _craving_ to be able to feel that again.

They fall onto the bed not long after, and Luke quickly rids himself from the clothes he’s wearing. Michael removes everything as well, including his boxers, so when he falls on top of Luke in the next second, two loud and synchronized moans erupt from them as their hips move together and their cocks rubbing in a motion that’s slow and hot and dirty.

“Feels so good, Mikey,” Luke says breathlessly, shutting his eyes as he felt a euphoric bliss envelope him. “Please don’t stop.”

“I won’t.”

“There’s a party downstairs, babe,” Luke gasps, feeling the heat of Michael’s finger trace his rim. “We can’t… we’re missing out so much. They’re going to start looking for us.”

“Maybe I want that,” Michael rasps, suddenly sounding as fucked out as Luke. “Maybe I want them to know that we’re here. That I’m going to make you scream my name so loud that it’ll be enough to scare the guests away.”

“Michael.”

A finger is suddenly being pushed into his tight hole, and Luke moans so loud and _sinful_ and Michael finds it hard to breath for a moment. Luke looks so hot and wrecked beneath him and Michael swears there’s nothing better than seeing Luke looking so beautiful like this.

“You okay?” he asks, wanting to make sure that he’s nowhere near to hurting the blond as he starts moving his finger inside him.

“Yeah,” Luke nods against the pillows and it sounds breathless. “Another, add another.”

“Jeez,” Michael says as he stares at him, but pushes two fingers inside him now. “It’s been three years since I’ve stretched you out and shit, you’re taking it so well… do you finger yourself, Luke?”

“Fuck off,” Luke just groans in response, too weak in this arousal to even make snarky remarks.

Michael laughs lightly, starting to push in three. “That’s hot. Do you think you could take me now?”

“Yeah, I’m good. Please hurry up.”

Michael nods quickly and retrieves his fingers back so could fix himself into a condom. He finds lube in one of the drawers beside his bed on coats it on his dick, feeling himself grow impatient as he tugs two and three more times before he’s keeling in front of Luke, one hand on his hip and the other to guide his dick.

Luke moans loudly when Michael pushes in, using Michael’s lips to muffle some of his noises but finding it useless when Michael starts releasing some of his own sinful moans as well. He gives Luke a few seconds to adjust before he’s pulling out and pushing in once again, slamming in harder when he pulls out the next time.

They fall into a rhythm, each thrust getting harder and rougher as Michael builds up a harsh pace. Luke falls pliant underneath him, high-pitched gasps and loud whimpers floating past his lips as he feels himself drowning in utter bliss.

Michael’s cock feels good and heavy inside of him and Luke never wants it to stop. It gets better when Michael pushes one of his legs to his chest and thrusts harder and deeper, finally hitting the spot inside him that makes him scream Michael’s name so loud that it would at least reach the hallways leading to the living room.

“You feel so good, babe,” Michael says, echoing Luke’s thoughts. His voice is an octave higher and Luke finds it so hot because it’s the kind of voice he has when he’s reaching the brink of his climax.

Luke grips on Michael’s shoulders, his fingernails digging into his smooth pale skin. Michael leans down and starts sucking harsh bruises on Luke’s neck, dragging out louder whines from the blond.

Michael’s cock hits one more spot before Luke’s coming, coating their stomachs in white as he comes down from his high. Michael continues to fuck into him through his orgasm, his thrusts starting to falter as he rides out his last moments and comes right into the condom.

Their rapid and heavy breaths mingle in the silence, sweat-slicked chests heaving up and down to the sound of their hearts beating in a quick rhythm.

“I love you,” Luke whispers sometime later when he’s calmed down. He musters up the courage to press himself against Michael’s side as their hands find their way to interlock with each other. “And I can’t wait to marry you.”

He falls asleep to the imprint of Michael’s lips on his forehead and a picture of Michael in a suit lingering in his head.

 

* * *

 

“When are we going to get married?” Michael asks randomly, shifting against Luke and finally settling down. They’re back in LA after New Year’s, and they thought it was a good idea to spend a day together before they return into the studio to finish off their fourth album.

Luke hums in response, “I don’t know. When do _you_ think we should get married?” They settled in for some arrangements after the proposal, going to meetings with management to figure out how they were going to bring this up to the fans. Of course they were happy for the boys; their management had seen them grow together and knowing that they were going to tie the knot just made the journey of their band stronger than ever.

Michael was the happiest on the morning after Luke had proposed, finding Calum passed out on the couch right next to Ashton, and demanding to see the video he managed to capture of them on the night before.

Luke smiles to himself. He still thinks all of this was becoming surreal.

“Definitely not now. How about next year?” Michael suggests, looking up at Luke underneath his lashes. “You know, right after we finish dealing with some stuff.”

“We can talk to our parents about that.” Luke nods, glancing at him. “Where are we getting married?”

“The beach?” Michael suggests hesitantly.

“The beach?”

“Or the church? I don’t know… The church seems too _sacred_.”

Luke chuckles softly, shaking his head at him. “I think getting married on the beach is nice.”

“Hey guys.” Ashton strides into the room with a half-empty bottle of root bear. “Making plans for the wedding?”

Michael smiles softly. “Yeah.”

“Sweet.” Ashton grins, plopping onto the couch beside the couple and taking a sip from the bottle before adding, “I call dibs on best man!”

“Hey, I’m Mike’s fucking best man!” comes Calum’s answer from somewhere in the kitchen.

“Asshole, I never said I was!” Ashton laughs, watching Calum approach him with a half-assed threatening look. Luke starts laughing at the two and Ashton turns his head to stare at him. “I’m your best man, yeah Luke?”

“Yup.”

Calum lets out a relieved side from one of the cushions but Ashton keeps his eyes trained on the two boys beside him. Michael’s got his head on Luke’s shoulder, with two arms wrapped around his waist to keep him close. Ashton also can’t believe that they’re actually getting married.

“Look at you,” he coos at them, like literally _coos_ at them but manages to ignore Luke’s small glare. What he says is now directed at Luke. “You’re the youngest in the band yet you get to be married first. It makes me proud and very much annoyed at the same time.”

Luke bursts into a fit of giggles, and lets Ashton’s words sink in for a moment. He can’t even believe that he’s here. All of the shit they’ve been through together and the arguments they had to withstand were now flashing in his mind like a slideshow, but it all meant the very same thing to him. It was all _worth it._

And now he’s here in a house full of the people he loves. It all feels surreal until then, looking into the eyes of his lover, and thinking how they went on from hating each other, to being two best friends who eventually fell in love.

It’s all perfect. Luke can’t ask for anything more.

“You’ll just have to take risks then,” Luke says softly, pulling on Michael’s chin to tilt his head up so he could meet the green irises he’s always loved seeing. “You’ll never know what kind of _best_ is waiting for you in the end.”

 

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> AND THAT IS IT! I want to thank everyone who read, left kudos and comments because y'all are my queens. For everyone who left comments, thank you for your constant support. I promise you that I will be back with more because all of you deserve it. I'll see you next break. Kudos and comments are highly appreciated!
> 
> Btw, I will change my name to clemmingsvinyl/flowersforlukey so better make sure that you'll recognize me as soon as I post again! 
> 
> Thank you so, so much for reading! I love you all a lot. xx


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